As it turned out, after that person woke up, he snatched a gun and shot two of his teammates dead.

After that, Qin Qinxi understood.

Kindness isn’t about rushing in without regard for the situation, the person involved, or the consequences. That’s foolish.

True kindness means knowing exactly what you’re doing and what you’re capable of, then extending your hand only where it needs to go.

She didn’t save this man because she believed everyone was good; nor was it because she naively thought that if she saved him, he’d be eternally grateful and turn over a new leaf.

She saved him because he was lying there, bleeding, and she could save him.

It’s that simple.

In Syria, she’s rescued both government soldiers and opposition fighters.

She doesn’t care who they are, which side they’re on, or whether their hands are stained with blood.

All she cares about is the wound.

When a bullet pierces through, it doesn’t discriminate; when blood flows from the veins, it doesn’t either.

Her job is to pull people back from that line—no matter who they are.

Qin Qinxi crouched down and unbuttoned the man’s shirt.

Vio stood nearby, hands in his pockets, watching her work.

He watched as she knelt on the ground, her skirt torn unevenly, dirt and grass clippings stuck to her knees, and her fingers covered in blood.

He watched as she wrapped strips of cloth around the Shadow, her fingers steady as she tied the knots.

Bali was watching too. He glanced at the boss, then back at the woman.

To be honest, he’d never seen a woman like this before.

There wasn’t a single woman like her among them—not exactly, anyway. There weren’t any kind people around them.

People in their line, even if they start out kind, can’t stay kind forever.

Sooner or later, they get assimilated, worn down bit by bit by the rules of this world until they become just like everyone else.

They hadn’t encountered someone like this in ages.

Vio’s lips curled ever so slightly.

Suddenly, he wondered what would happen if this woman stayed by his side—would she end up becoming just like him? Turning white into black, kindness into evil.

That would be fascinating.

The gunfire had already stopped.

The Shadow was dragged away between two men, his head hanging low, leaving two shallow trails on the ground as he was pulled along. When he was hoisted into the vehicle, he let out a groan but didn’t wake up.

Two off-road vehicles came speeding toward them from the opposite direction, their headlights blindingly bright, forcing everyone to squint.

The cars pulled up, and several captives were yanked out of the back seats.

Their hands were bound behind their backs, black cloths covering their heads, and they were shoved into a squatting row.

Qin Qinxi recognized their uniforms—they were the very group that had just been chasing Vio with guns.

One of them struggled briefly, but someone next to him smashed the butt of a rifle against the back of his head, sending him into a muffled groan before he went limp. Another person grabbed him by the hair and dragged him to the side.

Bali saw the boss nod in that direction, giving a subtle signal.

He was momentarily taken aback—he couldn’t quite make sense of it.

The boss never saves expendable operatives. A Shadow is a Shadow: once it’s used up, you toss it aside and replace it with another when it dies. That’s the rule.

But this time, the boss really did listen to the woman.

He ordered the people in one of the vehicles to get out, lift the Shadow onto the car, and take him for treatment.

Bali watched the vehicle drive off, then glanced at Qin Qinxi standing beside him—but said nothing.

Another car pulled up: a black Maybach with consecutive license plates.

The driver got out and handed the keys to Bali.

Vio walked over, opened the door, didn’t look back, reached behind him, grabbed Qin Qinxi’s wrist, and shoved her into the back seat.

He climbed in himself from the other side.

Qin Qinxi sat in the back, her hands resting on her knees, clutching the frayed hem of her skirt.

End of Chapter 53: Chapter 53